So, How’s It Going? (2024 edition)
2024, for me at least, has been a year of pleasant musical surprises. Artists I took for granted are releasing some of their best work yet, and new acts are popping up out of nowhere to entrance and dance.
A note about this year’s mid-point list: there’s a few on here that have yet to be included in a Review Roundup, but will be in the next edition (…whenever that is). So, if you’re looking for a more detailed breakdown, it’s either in a Review Roundup or will be soon (-ish).
But before we showcase the best of the best so far this year, let’s look at the still excellent runners up:
Musow Danse by Les Amazones d’Afrique; Look to the East, Look to the West by Camera Obscura; Atavista by Childish Gambino; Poetry by Dehd; angeltape by Drahla; Audio Vertigo by Elbow; People Who Aren’t There Anymore by Future Islands; Tangk by IDLES; Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party; A Dream Is All We Know by The Lemon Twigs; All Life Long by Kali Malone; I Got Heaven by Mannequin Pussy; Loss of Life by MGMT; Moves in the Field by Kelly Moran; Silence Is Loud by Nia Archives; Half Divorced by Pissed Jeans; Bite Down by Rosali; Blue Lips by Schoolboy Q; Three Bells by Ty Segall; Perceive Its Beauty, Acknowledge Its Grace by Shabaka; Filthy Underneath by Nadine Shah; To All Trains by Shellac; Revelations by Sarah Shook & the Disarmers; Wall of Eyes by The Smile; Letter to Self by Sprints; Dark Times by Vince Staples; Orquídeas by Kali Uchis; Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee; Where’s My Utopia? by Yard Act
And now, here are the top of the top so far, listed in alphabetical order by artist. As always, links to the albums are embedded in the album art (and links to their corresponding Review Roundups are in their captions #shamelessselfpromotion). Enjoy…
Night Reign
Arooj Aftab
Chamber Folk | TBA
The Dream of Delphi
Bat for Lashes
Art Pop | TBA
Cold Visions
Bladee
Rage | RR5
Brat
Charli XCX
Electropop | TBA
Mountainhead
Everything Everything
Synthpop | RR2
The Collective
Kim Gordon
Industrial Hip Hop | RR2
What Now
Brittany Howard
Psychedelic Soul | RR1
Invincible Shield
Judas Priest
Heavy Metal | RR2
Diamond Jubilee
Cindy Lee
Hypnagogic Pop | RR5
Bright Future
Adrianne Lenker
Contemporary Folk | RR3
Funeral for Justice
Mdou Moctar
Tishoumaren | RR4
Challengers [MIXED]
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross & Boys Noize
Techno | RR4
Only God Was Above Us
Vampire Weekend
Indie Rock | RR3
Girl with No Face
Allie X
Synthpop | RR1
COWBOY CARTER
Beyoncé
Country Pop | RR4
Affection
Bullion
Synthpop | RR5
Hit Me Hard and Soft
Billie Eilish
Alt-Pop | TBA
Lives Outgrown
Beth Gibbons
Chamber Folk | RR5
Something in the Room…
Julia Holter
Art Pop | RR3
Pull the Rope
Ibibio Sound Machine
Afro-Funk | RR5
You Won’t Go Before…
Knocked Loose
Metalcore | RR5
Songdreaming
Sam Lee
Contemporary Folk | RR3
#RICHAXXHAITIAN
Mach-Hommy
Abstract Hip Hop | TBA
Here in the Pitch
Jessica Pratt
Contemporary Folk | RR4
All Born Screaming
St. Vincent
Art Rock | RR4
She Reaches Out to She…
Chelsea Wolfe
Darkwave | RR1
Thanks for scrolling all the way through. And as always, happy listening!
P.S. I was totally going to include Chappell Roan’s album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, in this list until I realized it came out LAST YEAR. Woops! Please forgive the exclusion from last year’s list.
P.P.S. It has come to my attention that the mobile version of this site does NOT list the albums in alphabetical order by artist, because javascript and html have once again conspired against me to not translate my website design across platforms. ARGH! Just know that they were, at one time, in order.
